c. 2006–2023
Mykyta Khanhanov
Schoolboy, Order of Freedom
Two streets in Zaporizhzhia used to be one: now they carry the names of two friends from Berdiansk. Mykyta Khanhanov made no secret of his pro-Ukrainian views in his occupied city, and the occupiers built a “sabotage” case against him. In June 2023, aged 16, he was killed.
Key accomplishments
- A pupil of School No. 1 in Berdiansk who made no secret of backing Ukraine under occupation
- On 15 June 2023 the European Parliament passed a resolution demanding an end to the persecution of him and Tihran Ohannisian
- Order of Freedom (posthumously, decree No. 500/2025 of 19 July 2025)
- A street in Zaporizhzhia bears his name (2024)
He didn’t hide whose side he was on
Mykyta Khanhanov was born in 2006 in Berdiansk and went to the town’s School No. 1. When russia occupied the city in 2022, he stayed at home and, like his friend Tihran Ohannisian, openly backed Ukraine.
A fabricated case
In October 2022 the occupiers tried to arrest Mykyta. Searches and interrogations followed, and then a case: he and Tihran were accused of plotting “sabotage” on the railway. In May 2023 the boys were formally charged and faced up to 20 years in prison.
Europe stands up for them
On 15 June 2023 the European Parliament passed a resolution on the two teenagers from Berdiansk by 425 votes. It condemned the torture and the case against them, and demanded that the boys be allowed to leave the occupied territory.
His death
In June 2023, 16-year-old Mykyta Khanhanov and Tihran were killed in occupied Berdiansk. The occupation authorities called them “pro-Ukrainian terrorists”; human rights defenders say the boys were shot by snipers. As of July 2025, their bodies had not been returned to their families.
Why it matters today
Mykyta Khanhanov was an ordinary schoolboy, but in his occupied city he would not pretend he wasn’t on Ukraine’s side. His story shows that civic courage has nothing to do with age. The case against two teenagers from Berdiansk reached the European Parliament, and Europe heard how the occupiers persecute Ukrainian teenagers. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Freedom for that courage and his patriotism. Staying true to yourself where that is punished is also a way of standing up for Ukraine.
